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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · board · march · stem · dip · bear · mouse · capital

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. board — to get on
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. march — the month
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. march — the month
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. board — a committee
  13. dip — to sink
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. march — music
  22. capital — money
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com